The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1887-12-24
FOR ANTIQUARIAN.
An Instructive Article ON
EgyptOlOgv by II Well
Gentleman who Has
Given it Much
Attention.

WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec. 19-Egypt-
ology is study that has peculiar
fascination for many persons. There
is SO much with which to recon
struct old Egypt's history in com
parison with that of other extinct
nations, yet how little and fragment
airy it seems after ALL Looking at
the conditions it is seen that these
people built for the future in their
massive masonry and sent down the
records deeply engraved on column
wall, gateway or obelisk. Then in
their care for the dead they hand
down to us marvelously preserved
products of their skill; in that dry
atmosphere there is no decay and
close wrapped to the breast of a
mummy is found papyrus scroll
that is as plain as if written yester-
day, telling of the Egyptian advance
ment in surgery perhaps, in those
pasteenturies when their fame was
world wide. DR.. James Grant Bey,
of Cairo, lately gave the museum
some very interesting relics of an
Gent Egypt, and, what is as valuable,
full information concerning them.
Two noted objects in the collection
are pear shaped pendants of gold,
which are imprinted with the kingly
seal of Thothmes III, who lived 1000
years B. G.. These were bought in
Cairo several years before the great
discovery Of the royal mummies in
the cave at DER ell Bahari, and con-
firmed the suspicion that the Arab
grave robbers had access to royal
sepulcher. In this find, besides the
bodies of several Kings known in
history, was found the great "Phar-
aoh the oppressor," Rameses II, the
father of the Pharaoh of the Exodus.
A piece of the wrapping linen of
this king, on which Dr. Grant has
written the royal seal, provokes re-
Elections on the changes since the
busy hands of the weaver wrought
that fine linen $500 hundred years
ago. The Egyptians believed that
in 1000 years the soul would return
to reaminate the body, hence they
used every care to keep the latter
intact. Now, before the soul absence
of the great king is over prying
scientists discover his carefully pre-
served mummy, photograph him,
criticise his profile, write him up
and place him for public inspection
in the museum at Boulak.
A small bronze mummy box with
a lizard on the top tells us that the
Egyptians were also careful of the
bodies of as small animals as these.
A mummied hawk is also in the coli
lection. The hawk was the symbol
of Horus, the sun god, and son of
Osiris, the greatest god in the Egyp-
tain Pantheon. Two little porcelain
statuettes were the subject Of an in
teresting story told by the learned
doctor. They are called shubti or
respondents. When an ancient
Egyptian went to the funeral of a
friend he took several of these. which
were deposited in an empty case pro-
vided for the purpose in the tomb,
to represent that the friend wished
the deceased to have plenty of serv-
ants in the next world to till the
soil and SOW seed. Hence they have
agricultural implements and bag
of seed in their hands. These shubti
were formerly mistaken for images
of Osiris.
4 Among other things is copper
figurette Of the Ibis, headed god,
Thoth, the ancestor of the Greek god
Hermes, the god of learning; one of
cat the symbol of Sekhet, who cor
responds to the Greek Diana, god
dess of the moon; a small stone
scarab or beetle with the seal of the
goddess Hathor on the under side.
Several fragments of papyrus, with
old Greek characters on them are
from the interesting find ofobjects
dating within the Christian era in
the Fyoum. There was found the
cave containing the immense stone
collins in which were placed the en-